Chapter 3: First Session
1500 Words
The disappointment in his voice irritated her instantly.
Marinette closed the door carefully behind her.
“Yes.”
Adrien looked her up and down once.
Slowly.
“You look too innocent to tutor me.”
Her eyebrows lifted immediately.
“And you look too old to be failing basic university courses.”
Silence.
The tutor coordinator choked on her coffee.
Adrien stared at Marinette for a long second.
Then laughed quietly.
Low.
Rough.
Dangerous.
Something about the sound annoyed her immediately.
“You’re rude,” he said.
“You’re failing.”
“See? Rude.”
Marinette crossed her arms tightly.
“You invited it.”
Adrien stood slowly from the chair.
And unfortunately—
he was even worse standing up.
Tall.
Broad.
The type of man people automatically moved aside for without realizing it.
He walked toward her casually.
Too casually.
Marinette’s pulse tightened slightly as he stopped directly in front of her.
Too close.
Not threatening.
Just… overwhelming.
Like his entire existence took up too much space.
His gaze dropped briefly to the folder clutched against her chest.
“Nervous?”
“I’m reconsidering my life choices.”
That smirk again.
God.
She already wanted to strangle him.
The coordinator quickly stepped between them slightly.
“Adrien, this is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She’s one of the top tutors in the department.”
Adrien looked unconvinced.
“She’s tiny.”
Marinette blinked slowly.
“And yet somehow still smarter than you.”
His jaw flexed and he tilted his head.
“You always talk like that?”
“Only to men who deserve it.”
Something sharp flickered behind his eyes.
Interest.
Like she’d suddenly become entertaining instead of inconvenient.
That was probably dangerous.
Unfortunately, Marinette was too irritated to care.
Adrien leaned one shoulder against the desk lazily.
“So let me guess.”
His eyes swept over her again.
“You took the job because you’re a hockey fan?”
Marinette stared at him in disbelief.
“Oh my God.”
“What?”
“You really think every woman is obsessed with you.”
“Most are.”
“Narcissistic.”
“Experienced.”
She almost laughed.
Almost.
The worst part?
He said it so casually that it was probably true.
The coordinator sighed heavily.
“Let’s just discuss scheduling—”
The office door suddenly swung open before she could finish.
Three girls stepped inside excitedly.
The second they saw Adrien, they nearly lost their minds.
“Oh my God.”
“No way.”
“It’s actually him.”
Adrien closed his eyes briefly like this happened every five minutes.
Which honestly—
it probably did.
One girl immediately pulled out her phone.
“Can we get a picture?”
Another grabbed her friend’s arm excitedly.
“I told you he was here!”
Marinette stepped back automatically, trying to move out of the way.
One of the girls noticed her immediately.
Her eyes widened.
Then dropped to Adrien.
Then back to Marinette.
“Oh.”
The tone changed instantly.
Smirking now.
“Are we interrupting something?”
Adrien opened his eyes slowly.
Marinette’s stomach tightened immediately.
No.
Absolutely not.
The girl grinned knowingly at Marinette.
“Didn’t realize Adrien brought company today.”
Heat rushed into Marinette’s face instantly.
Adrien looked amused.
Which made it worse.
“We’re not—”
“Relax,” the girl laughed. “You don’t have to explain.”
Marinette’s embarrassment turned to irritation immediately.
Because she knew exactly what they thought.
Another girl leaned closer dramatically.
“Honestly? You’re prettier than the brunette from last week.”
Adrien muttered under his breath.
“Jesus Christ.”
Marinette wanted the floor to open and consume her.
“I’m his tutor,” she said sharply.
The girls blinked.
Then laughed.
Like she’d made a joke.
Adrien rubbed a hand over his jaw, clearly exhausted.
“She actually is.”
One girl looked horrified.
“Wait—you’re failing classes?”
Adrien pointed toward the door immediately.
“Get out.”
The girls dissolved into laughter before finally leaving.
But not before one of them winked at Marinette.
“Good luck surviving him.”
The door shut behind them.
Silence crashed into the room instantly afterward.
Marinette wanted to die.
Adrien looked annoyingly unaffected.
“That happens a lot?” she muttered.
“All the time.”
“That’s horrifying.”
“You get used to it.”
Marinette looked at him incredulously.
“No, I definitely wouldn’t.”
Adrien’s phone buzzed suddenly on the desk.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The screen lit up repeatedly.
UNKNOWN CALLER.
UNKNOWN CALLER.
UNKNOWN CALLER.
Marinette looked away automatically.
Not her business.
Adrien ignored it completely.
But then her own phone vibrated inside her bag.
And instantly—
her stomach dropped.
Max.
Her younger adoptive brother.
Again.
A second message appeared immediately after.
Where are you?
Another.
Don’t come home late.
Another.
Or are you busy trying to impress rich boys now?
Marinette’s throat tightened.
Her fingers went cold around the phone.
Then the final message appeared.
Wear that tight sweater again. The blue one.
Her heartbeat stopped for half a second.
A flash. Dark laundry room. A hand gripping her waist too tightly. The smell of alcohol.
“Stop moving.”
Panic. Breathing hard. A locked door.
Marinette shoved the memory down violently before it could fully surface.
No. Not here. Not now.
Her hands trembled slightly.
She quickly locked the phone screen. Too late.
Adrien noticed. Of course he did.
His expression shifted subtly. The arrogance faded slightly.
“What happened?”
“Nothing.”
The answer came too fast.
Too sharp.
Adrien straightened slowly from the desk.
“That didn’t look like nothing.”
Marinette grabbed her folder tighter.
“I said it’s fine.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
Not pushing exactly.
Observing.
Like he was trying to figure something out.
And somehow—
that made her more nervous than the flirting.
The coordinator suddenly clapped her hands together awkwardly.
“Right. Scheduling.”
Thank God.
Adrien kept looking at Marinette another second before finally dragging his attention away.
“Three times a week.”
“Four,” Marinette said immediately. She needed that money badly.
His gaze snapped back toward her.
“No.”
“You’re failing.”
“You’re annoying.”
“You’re spoiled.”
“You’re judgmental.”
“You’re insufferable.”
Adrien smirked faintly.
“There she is again.”
Marinette hated that smirk.
Hated how easily he got under her skin.
The coordinator slammed a folder onto the desk loudly.
Both of them looked over.
“This arrangement is mandatory,” she snapped.
Finally.
An adult.
She pointed directly at Adrien.
“If you fail this course, you lose hockey eligibility.”
Then at Marinette.
“And if this tutoring arrangement collapses, the department will assign the position elsewhere.”
Marinette’s chest tightened instantly.
The apartment.
The money.
Her escape.
Gone.
Adrien looked irritated.
Marinette looked trapped.
Perfect.
The coordinator sighed heavily.
“So unless both of you enjoy self-destruction, figure it out.”
Silence settled over the room.
Adrien exhaled first.
“Three sessions.”
Marinette blinked slightly.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
His voice sounded annoyed.
Like cooperation physically hurt him.
“But if you start acting like my mother, I’m leaving.”
Marinette frowned.
“You compare every woman to authority figures?”
Adrien’s eyes darkened slightly.
“And you compare every man to criminals?”
The question hit too hard.
Too directly.
For half a second, neither moved.
Then Marinette looked away first.
Which irritated her immediately.
Adrien noticed that too.
Of course he did.
The coordinator shoved the schedule sheet toward them desperately.
“Sign it.”
Marinette reached first.
Adrien’s hand brushed hers accidentally.
Warm.
Large.
Her body tensed instantly before she could stop it.
Adrien felt it.
His expression changed slightly.
Confusion now.
Not amusement.
Interesting.
Marinette signed quickly and stepped back.
Adrien took the pen slower.
Watching her.
Always watching her.
“You react to everything I do,” he murmured.
“You take up too much space.”
Something unreadable crossed his face at that.
Then he signed the paper lazily.
“Wednesday,” he said.
Marinette grabbed her bag immediately.
“Fine.”
Adrien moved toward the door first.
Then paused beside her.
Close enough that her pulse immediately betrayed her again.
God.
Annoying.
“You know,” he said quietly, “for someone who clearly hates men like me…”
His eyes dropped briefly toward the phone still clutched tightly in her hand.
“…you looked more scared of whoever texted you.”
Marinette froze.
Every muscle in her body locked instantly.
Adrien’s expression sharpened immediately.
Because now he knew he’d hit something real.
Marinette forced herself to move again. Forced herself to breathe.
“It’s none of your business.”
Then she walked out before he could answer.
But she could still feel his eyes following her all the way down the hallway.
- Writer
